Tag: Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development

State Grants Will Provide Financial Aid to Adult Students

May 16, 2023 | Campus News ECC Rolla

State grant funds soon will be available for adult students seeking a degree or training in high-demand fields to ensure that money is not a barrier to education.

The Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant program covers any tuition and fee costs — not already covered by other state and federal student aid programs — for Missouri residents 25 years and older, or those who have not been enrolled in any school within the last two years. There are 29 Fast Track grant-eligible programs available at East Central College.

The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development program was created to provide adults with the financial means to start a career in a high-demand industry, such as teaching, welding, computer information systems, nursing and many more.

Students could receive up to $500 for other education-related expenses if other sources of aid already fully cover tuition and fees.

The following requirements must be met to be eligible for the Fast Track grant program:

Students must be at least 25 years old or have not been enrolled in an education program at any level within the past two years.
Students cannot already have a bachelor’s degree and they must plan to enroll part-time or full-time.
Single tax filers must make less than $40,000 per year, or $80,000 or as a joint tax filer.
Students must enroll in an eligible program at least half-time.

The Fast Track application for the 2023-24 academic year, which includes the 2023 fall semester, will be available to complete June 30. Classes begin Aug. 21.

A complete list of programs and additional grant information is available at www.eastcentral.edu/finaid/financial-aid-home/fast-track-grant/. Prospective students also may contact Kathy Luther at Kathy.Luther@eastcentral.edu or 636-584-6571.

CWD Assists Local Industries Receive $677,000 in State Training Funds

November 22, 2022 | Campus News ECC Rolla

Volpi Foods is one of 19 local industries working with the East Central College Center for Workforce Development (CWD) to secure and utilize state funds totaling $677,000 that is earmarked for training and development.

According to Kathy Price, director of human resources at Volpi foods, the Union meat processing plant is benefiting from $45,000 in the Missouri One Start program, which is funding leadership, safety and industrial maintenance training for its employees.

Price said she learned about the Customized Training funds through an informational meeting for area HR representatives hosted by the CWD; and ECC staff, Cindy Brinker, CWD grant and program administrator, and Melissa Richardson, CWD apprenticeship and business training program coordinator, were essential in assisting Price with completing required documents prior to submission.

“I was not aware that the grant fund opportunity existed until I went to the presentation,” she said. “They also followed up individually with me to see how they could assist Volpi in completing the application and made an in person visit to review the key steps in applying.”

Volpi Foods has been handcrafting artisan cured meat since 1902. The female-operated manufacturer has been run by the same family for 120 years. Chief Executive Officer Lorenza Pasetti is the great niece of Volpi’s founder. She has been in charge of Volpi since 2002.

Customized Training awards through Missouri One Start range from $10,000 to $100,000 this year with awards averaging around $41,000. That’s compared to an average award in 2021 of $23,000. The increase in average awards is primarily due to Missouri One Start more than doubling its budget for workforce projects in Missouri.

Training for the industries ranges from leadership development, safety training, introductory welding programs, project management to LEAN and Six Sigma training.

“We are still finalizing exactly how we intend to spend the money, but our focus will be on leadership training for our managers, safety training for all employees and some specialized industrial maintenance technical training for our maintenance team members,” Price added.

Royal Canin

Royal Canin, Rolla — a leading producer of science-based cat and dog health nutrition — is receiving $30,000 in Missouri One Start program funding that will be utilized for several areas of training.

According to Derric Fane, Royal Canin Technical Manager, the manufacturer produces over 200 unique formulas of pet food, and each formula uses different ingredients.

“That means there is a high-level of variability — some are high in starch, some are high in protein — there are no two jobs alike,” Fane said.

He added that the Missouri One Grant will fund advanced training for Royal Canin employees for both machine operations and maintenance.

“It will include advanced training for our employees so they can train others,” Fane said, “It will be training to sharpen their skill level so in the future, they can pass along that knowledge.”

Founded by a veterinarian in 1968, Royal Canin has more than 50 years of experience in delivering individualized nutritional solutions. The Royal Canin product line offers a range of diets based on size, age, breed, lifestyle and therapeutic requirements.

Manufacturers Awarded Funds

Through the Missouri One Start Customized Training program the following manufacturers, listed by their locations, were awarded matching training grants:
Paramount Apparel, Bourbon; Homeyer Precision Manufacturing, Marthasville; Henniges Automotive, New Haven; Walker Products and Klauber Machine & Gear, Pacific; Royal Canin, Rolla;
Atro Engineering and Performance Engineering & Manufacturing Racing, St. Clair; Ace Manufacturing and Enjet Aero, Sullivan; Linmark Machine and Volpi Foods, Union; and Clemco Industries, Computech, Enjet Aero, Hodges Badge, Frick’s Meats, WEG Transformers and Parker Hannifin, Washington.

Learn more about the program by contacting the CWD team at training@eastcentral.edu or visit missourionestart.com/.

To learn more about CWD industry training and consulting visit www.eastcentral.edu/cwd/.

ECC Chief Academic Officer Named to State Transfer Committee

November 17, 2022 | Campus News ECC Rolla Inspiring Excellence

East Central College Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Robyn Walter will help shape how transfer and articulation agreements among Missouri colleges and universities are developed and maintained.

Walter was appointed last month to the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD) Committee on Transfer and Articulation (COTA). She was appointed by interim Commissioner of Higher Education Leroy Wade to serve through June 30, 2024.

“At ECC, we rely on good transfer partners to provide quality pathways for our students, so I understand the importance of transfer agreements, and how greatly they can benefit students,” Walter said. “It’s crucial to develop collaborative transfer and articulation strategies to serve students and advance our goals for degree completion.”

COTA’s primary responsibilities are to review and make recommendations on transfer issues and study and develop transfer guidelines for traditional and non-traditional credits. That’s in addition to reviewing and recommending resolutions on cases of appeal from institutions or students.

“It is important that students throughout the state are prepared for upper-level coursework when they transfer, and that they receive credit for the courses they have completed,” Walter added.

COTA is comprised of 12 members who are appointed by the Commissioner of Higher Education, and it includes four representatives from public two-year colleges and four representatives from public four-year colleges and universities, one of which must be from the University of Missouri and one which must be from another public four-year institution.

COTA also includes one representative from independent two-year colleges or proprietary institutions, two representatives from independent four-year colleges and universities and one at-large position. Additionally, the commissioner or a designated representative sits as ex-officio voting member of the committee.

Walter has been with ECC since 2003, serving as a faculty member, director of nursing, nursing and allied health program chair, dean of health sciences and vice president of academic affairs since 2020.

She received her Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of Missouri and her Master’s in Nursing Service Administration from Saint Louis University. She earned her Ph.D. in Nursing at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

ECC Highest Transfer GPA in State Among Community Colleges

April 27, 2022 | Campus News ECC Rolla

East Central College students transferring to four-year colleges and universities in Missouri have the highest Grade Point Average among all community college in the state.

According to the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD), students who began taking courses at ECC in the 2019-20 school year, and then transferred to four-year schools, have a median cumulative GPA of 3.44, higher than any other community college in Missouri.

The 3.44 GPA is based only on full-time students who earned 12 or more credit hours at ECC. There are 265 students who fit the criteria.

ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer said that is a strong indicator that ECC is preparing students well for the next step in their educational path.

“This is a testament to our exemplary faculty who, year after year, set our students up for success,” he said. “To see how well our students are performing after transferring to the many other colleges and universities in Missouri also proves the high-quality programming we offer at ECC.”

The DHEWD studies furthers shows that 81.5 percent, or 216, of those transfer students were still enrolled at a four-year as of fall 2021 — also a very strong metric for ECC.

The continued enrollment percentage is the third highest among all two-year colleges in Missouri.

ECC Receives Funds for Student Career Guidance and Mental Health Support Center

June 17, 2021 | Campus News

East Central College has received $871,761 in state funding to create a new Center for Career Advancement and Student Wellness on the Union campus.

On Wednesday, June 16, the Coordinating Board for Higher Education (CBHE) approved the college’s request to the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD) for the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Excels funds to renovate the former Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning (HVAC) lab in Hansen Hall for the new center. The HVAC program was moved to the Business and Industry Center in 2016.

The new center will assist students with registration and completion of short-term training programs, with the goal to provide job skills to enter the workforce or continue to enhance their education to obtain a certificate or a two-year degree.

The center will better serve the needs and demands of the local workforce, especially in advanced manufacturing and health care industries, that are in desperate need of qualified and skilled employees.

In additional, short-term training programs for other high-demand industries will also be available including, information technology, HVAC, logistics and early childhood development.

The renovated areas of Hansen Hall will also be used to house the college’s Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) program, including office space and class space. The minor demolition work of the former HVAC lab and construction of the new center is tentatively scheduled to begin in January 2022 to be completed in late spring of 2022.

“I’m excited to have the funding to create this new center for our students,” said Dr. Jon Bauer, ECC president.

“Increasing career counseling and mental health resources to our students is vital to their success, especially at a time when mental health is so important to a student’s well-being. The enhanced career counseling resources will better prepare our students both personally and professionally. “

Services

Plans call for the 3,560-square-foot area in Hansen Hall to be converted into two classrooms, a training lab and five offices. Within the classrooms, various groups and classes will meet, including AEL students and Certified Nurse Assistant and Certified Medication Technician students.

Five offices will be created for AEL staff, a CNA/CMT instructor, a Career Navigator and a Social Services Navigator.

The Social Services Navigator will support all ECC students and assist those who lack essential resources for success and who may be anxious about returning to classes in person. The role of the navigator is to advocate for those with mental and physical health needs.

With resources in the college and from local service providers, students will be referred to the appropriate services. A social worker will act as an advocate for the student to connect them with the resources they need.

The Career Navigator will work with students through their education experience to help them identify the best Career Pathway for their specific interests and career goals. The Career Navigator services include resume building and job search services, and services to assist students in developing a personal and professional development plan.

It will be the responsibility of the Career Navigator to help students progress through their selected career pathway. This could include helping them enroll in partner programs before and after the short-term training is completed, working with financial aid, and verifying eligibility for other funding sources.

The hiring process of the two navigator positions will begin in July to have the positions ready to assist students for the 2021 fall semester.

Funding

Through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) additional funding was appropriated for the GEER Excels fund, that will allow institutions to continue to provide assistance for recovery from the economic impacts of COVID-19, either in terms of meeting specific workforce needs or removing barriers to student success.

The preliminary request for proposals (RFP) was issued on March 1. The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development received 22 applications from the state’s community colleges and universities requesting $19.66 million.